Tyers Asset Management LLC trimmed its position in MKS Instruments, Inc. (NASDAQ:MKSI) by 38.7% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 23,504 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock after selling 14,848 shares during the period. Tyers Asset Management LLC’s holdings in MKS Instruments were worth $1,831,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. AlphaOne Investment Services LLC acquired a new position in MKS Instruments in the first quarter valued at about $45,000. Pearl River Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments in the second quarter worth about $52,000. Icon Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MKS Instruments during the first quarter worth about $69,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of MKS Instruments by 72.6% during the first quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 1,160 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock worth $107,000 after purchasing an additional 488 shares during the period. Finally, Advisor Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MKS Instruments by 136.8% during the 2nd quarter. Advisor Group Inc. now owns 2,264 shares of the scientific and technical instruments company’s stock valued at $176,000 after purchasing an additional 1,308 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.95% of the company’s stock.

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In other news, Director Jacqueline F. Moloney sold 603 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.98, for a total transaction of $49,433.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 7,692 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $630,590.16. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.24% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Shares of MKSI stock traded up $2.30 on Wednesday, hitting $93.48. 8,947 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 418,014. The company has a current ratio of 4.80, a quick ratio of 3.12 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 1.46. The business has a 50-day moving average of $79.88 and a 200 day moving average of $82.95. MKS Instruments, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $56.37 and a fifty-two week high of $103.86.

MKS Instruments (NASDAQ:MKSI) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 30th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the Zacks’ consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $474.11 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $483.27 million. MKS Instruments had a return on equity of 16.34% and a net margin of 11.41%. MKS Instruments’s revenue for the quarter was down 17.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.33 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that MKS Instruments, Inc. will post 4.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 26th were given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 23rd. MKS Instruments’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 10.22%.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on MKSI. Zacks Investment Research lowered MKS Instruments from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $94.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Thursday, July 25th. BidaskClub upgraded shares of MKS Instruments from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Susquehanna Bancshares assumed coverage on shares of MKS Instruments in a research note on Wednesday, May 15th. They issued a “positive” rating and a $123.00 price target on the stock. Finally, ValuEngine raised shares of MKS Instruments from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. The company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $112.11.

MKS Instruments Company Profile

MKS Instruments, Inc provides instruments, subsystems, and process control solutions that measure, monitor, deliver, analyze, power, and control critical parameters of manufacturing processes worldwide. It operates through two segments, Vacuum and Analysis, and Light and Motion. The Vacuum and Analysis segment offers analytical and control solutions, including gas analyzers, automation control products, I/O modules, automation software, and precision machined components and electromechanical assemblies; direct and indirect pressure measurement and integrated process solutions; and materials delivery solutions comprising flow and valve technologies, as well as integrated pressure measurement and control subsystems to provide customers with control capabilities that are optimized for a given application.